Official website of the President of Russia

Moscow

May 29, 2002

We are firmly committed to continue and to enhance our cooperation on political and security matters in Europe. We will act together to strengthen security for all in a Europe whole and free recognizing the principle of indivisibility of security, thus ensuring peace and stability for present and future generations of Europeans. Our cooperation is an integral part of global security and must serve as a stable foundation for world stability.

We have achieved a significant degree of success in our cooperation. We base ourselves on the Joint Declaration on Strengthening Dialogue and Cooperation on Political and Security Matters in Europe, adopted in Paris on 30 October 2000, and the Joint Statement on Stepping up Dialogue and Cooperation on Political and Security Matters, approved at Brussels on 3 October 2001. We note with satisfaction the good results of our political dialogue at all levels since the last Summit. This allows us to make further significant steps in Brussels, Moscow and elsewhere, as appropriate, towards closer cooperation and joint action.

Our activities in that sphere will take into account the evolving situation in Europe in the field of security as well as EU developments.

We agreed to deepen significantly our political dialogue and cooperation on crisis management and security matters. The Russian Federation has proposed a ”Russia EU Action Plan in the field of European Security and Defence Policy“.

The EU has informed the Russian Federation on the decision taken recently by its Foreign Ministers to submit to the upcoming Seville European Council its ”Arrangements for Consultation and Cooperation between the European Union and Russia on Crisis Management“, with a view to cooperating in crisis management operations led by the European Union.

We will conduct a comparative analysis of our respective crisis response concepts in order to develop common approaches to new political and strategic realities.

We have also taken an important step to promote practical information exchange on military crisis management matters through the assignment of a Russian contact person with the EU Military Staff.

Furthermore, a visit of the Chairman of the EU Military Committee to Moscow to meet with the Russian military authorities has taken place on 29 May 2002.

We have identified the following issues which will be held under regular review in the framework of our frequent political dialogue on foreign policy and security issues at different levels:

- conflict prevention,

- mine clearance,

- possible use by the EU of Russian long-haul air transportation,

- the modalities for possible Russian participation in the EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The EU and Russia will inform each other of the results of their key international contacts and negotiations on matters related to security and crisis management.

The EU and Russia will discuss specific aspects of their cooperation in conducting emergency search-and-rescue operations in response to natural disasters and catastrophes, as well as in delivering humanitarian aid to various regions of the world in situations related to crisis management.

We agreed to engage in further dialogue on concrete proposals for cooperation and joint action. The PSC Troika and the Russian Ambassador to the EU will play an important role in coordinating this work. We will review progress in these areas at the next Russia-EU summit on 11 November 2002 in Copenhagen.